IML: Car Phones, Or, 'Hang Up & Drive' Back in the Day

["Eric" <gearhead@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Years and years ago, I worked at a communications company, back then called 
an answering service. I operated the land based 2 way radio broadcast 
service for what was known then as car phones.

A customer would radio in, we would acknowledge the call and ask for the 
number to be dialed. We'd dial the requested number and connect to his radio 
via an old Bell system cord switchboard. After the conversation stopped, the 
customer would clear and we would acknowledge the end of the call. The 
reverse applied when we had a call for a 2 way radio customer. It was 
terrifically expensive, chargeable per minute, and used mostly for business.

We did the installations as well. I wasn't involved in that part of the 
operation so the specific hardware I'm at a loss for.

At the bottom of the email, I've left attached an advertisement that was in 
the original email of this thread. It has a most pertinent update to the 
value of conversation. Enjoy!

Eric
Portland, Oregon
________________________________________________________________________
From: Jeff Ingraham <jeff_ingraham@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: IML: Car Phones?
 My 65 Ghia Limo has a Princess phone in the back
seat arm-rest.  I don't know how it worked but it is
still mostly intact.
My car came from New york City.
Jeff Ingraham
--- Alex Krasicky <krasicky49451@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> There are several 1960 Imperial ads that feature
> radio car phones. Just out of curiosity (and because
> I collect antique telephones):
> Has anyone ever come across an Imperial with a car
> phone installed? Motorola units were popular among
> the rich and famous in the 1960s and early 1970s.
> What modifications are necessary to install one on
> the dash? I know the main receiver component is
> installed in the trunk (and weighs around 50 lbs).
> Because there are no operators to connect radio
> phones to land lines anymore, I am playing with the
> idea of how to make such a phone actually work today
> in a car.
> Thanks for any help or suggestions.
> -Alex K.
> --------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make
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